NSW drug lab uncovered in Ciano case

Hannah Higgins | AAP

Friday, 8 December 2017 1:49PM

Former Rebels bikie gang member Ricky Ciano was found dead in his car last Valentine's Day.

NSW Police have refused to comment on speculation a former bikie figure found dead in the back of his luxury car may have been lured to his death, but say they are "keeping an open mind about all possibilities".

Ricky Ciano's body was discovered in a BMW on the side of a road in Oberon in the central tablelands on Valentine's Day 2017, a day after his family reported him missing.

The 35-year-old, who survived an attempt on his life in 2015, had been living on the Gold Coast after severing ties with the Rebels outlaw motorcycle gang.

Exactly what he was doing in Oberon remains a mystery, but on Friday police revealed tip-offs from the public had led detectives to search an abandoned farmhouse outside the town.

It is believed Mr Ciano may have visited the property on the weekend he died.

The riot squad, bomb squad, police divers and chemical operations members of the drug and firearm squad swooped on the property on Tuesday.

A search of the home revealed it had previously been used to produce cannabis and methylamphetamine, NSW Police say.

"Based on what we found there, we are confident there are people who know more about Mr Ciano's death," Detective Chief Inspector Jason Dickinson told reporters on Friday.

Police had previously said Mr Ciano died of a suspicious lethal drug overdose and had not ruled out that he was murdered.

"Obviously the circumstances insofar as how Mr Ciano's body was located in the back of his BMW about 15 kilometres out of sight on Duckmaloi Road have led us to the point where we are still conducting a homicide inquiry," Chief Insp Dickinson said.

"In relation to what was in his system and how that came to be, we're not making any comment."

Chief Insp Dickinson acknowledged Mr Ciano had been known to police, but refused to comment on what role his bikie connections may have played in his death.

"We're certainly progressing the matter well. We're the best part of 10 months down the track now and still have good strong lines of inquiry, so that's a positive thing and we'll continue to do our best to get to the bottom of this," he said.